HYDERABAD: The farcical drama when the state football team had to return from Howrah before reaching Guwahati for the Santosh Trophy is yet another sordid story of the game that has reached a new low.
Coached by former international Mohammad Habib, the team had to make a retreat after the court denied the football team to play in the Nationals.
“It is humiliating and shameful affair. I never thought this will happen. I was shocked. I don't belong to any group. I'm only interested in the growth and revival of the game,” says an anguished Habib, a soccer star of the seventies and eighties.
Both football and hockey are victims of nauseating politics. Both are rudderless with the current infighting in both state associations.
Even as young players train at football and hockey grounds with all enthusiasm, the future looks bleak.
“I'm really worried about the game. When I see young boys training, I feel sorry for them. Why should they suffer because of the dirty politics? Why is the government or Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) keeping quiet at the expense of young talent? Thanks to the infighting, the state will not be able to participate in any national tournament,” adds Habib, who even rejected an offer to coach Mohammedan Sporting in Kolkata.
But this is nothing new. Once the nursery of Indian football, which produced one of the best coaches in SA Rahim and over two dozen internationals, including Olympians in the golden fifties and sixties, the game has come to a standstill in the city and in the state.
The dirty fight for posts in the AP Football Association has left the game in limbo with two groups fighting in the courts.
A common feature for two decades has mad the game take a backseat. The All-India Football Federation (AIFF) looked helpless but in a brave attempt to revive the game appointed CR Viswanathan to supervise affairs of Andhra football.
The seasoned Tamil Nadu administrator did a fair job and for the first time, the state teams participated in various national teams and performed very well.
The popular Rahim League, which was in limbo was held in a more systematic way at Gymkhana, bringing smiles to many young footballers.
But the honeymoon period was over soon. The rebel group managed to convince the AIFF in removing the adhoc committee.
Fearing they would not have any opportunity to play in local matches, some players of institution teams even came up with a novel idea of starting a local tournament.
Of course, people like Tony (Trimulgherry) and Aleem Khan have kept the interest alive among young hopefuls with inter-summer tournaments.
Hockey, too, seems to follow the same downward route. The game has produced two big stars in N Mukesh Kumar and Alloysius Edwards, both Olympians and some local tournaments were also held in the city.
However, with rivalry between Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and Hockey India (HI) at Delhi rising, it has all come to a standstill.
With Federation International Hockey (FIH) recognizing HI, the Hyderabad Hockey Association (HHA) and Andhra Pradesh Hockey Association were disbanded and Hockey Andhra Pradesh was formed.
But some HHA officials strongly objected to the decision and went to court. No local leagues or knock-out tournaments have been conducted in the last two years.
The astro-turf at Begumpet and the two turfs at Gachibowli lie barren waiting for players.
Even as football and hockey players cry for revival, there is muted response from authorities. Mukesh Kumar was rightly unhappy.
“I think it is time we stop politicking and set things right. We have to take positive steps to revive the game, otherwise it is a bleak future,” he said.